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SportsItalian media hail Gonçalo Ramos after €74M AC Milan move; Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in World Cup R16
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Gonçalo Ramos, who scored the winning goal for Portugal against Croatia in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 (2-1), is generating significant excitement in Italy following his record €74 million transfer to AC Milan. Italian media outlets, including Gazzetta dello Sport, Sky Sports Italia, and Tuttosport, are praising the Portuguese striker, who came off the bench to score a crucial header. AC Milan fans have high hopes that Ramos will break the club's long-standing curse of failed number nines, a position that has seen disappointments like Morata, Origi, and Piatek since the days of Inzaghi and Shevchenko. Ramos, who previously scored a hat-trick against Switzerland in the 2022 World Cup, is now seen as the cornerstone of Milan's attack, especially with Rafael Leão expected to leave. He will next face Spain in the quarter-finals.
Source report
Author of the goal that qualified Portugal against Croatia in the World Cup Round of 16 (2-1), Gonçalo Ramos is already stirring passions in Italy.
By Jordan Pardon
Published: 07/04/2026 - 19:10 | 2 min read
At a cost of €74 million, the concerns of AC Milan fans regarding Gonçalo Ramos are legitimate — especially given the club's recent history with its number nines. But the Lombardy club didn't stop there and decided to break the bank last week, making the biggest purchase in its history (€74M plus bonuses, surpassing the €49 million spent on Rafael Leão in 2019).
We won't go so far as to say the Portuguese international has erased all doubts about him, but his qualifying goal against Croatia — once again as a supersub — is now sparking a wave of enthusiasm in Italy.
"Ramos is already ecstatic: Portugal is at his feet. And Milan exults…" — Gazzetta dello Sport
"Ramos, the most expensive signing in the club's history, will be the cornerstone of the attack, while Leão will be sold as he wants to leave and is no longer part of the team's plans." — Gazzetta dello Sport
He Must Make People Forget Recent Failures at His Position
Suffice it to say that AC Milan has very high hopes for the former Paris Saint-Germain player, expected to be the club's new great number 9. The Gazzetta dello Sport believes in it and sets the scene:
"AC Milan has struggled to find a quality center-forward for about twenty years. Since the days of Inzaghi and Shevchenko, except for Ibra and Giroud, it has been a succession of failures and disappointments: Morata and Origi, Gimenez and Kalinic, Piatek and Füllkrug. As if a curse looms over this shirt, a curse that only a magician could lift." — Gazzetta dello Sport
On the Sky Sports Italia side, there is no restraint:
"Gonçalo Ramos is astonishing: he is involved in a goal every 37 minutes in the World Cup." — Sky Sports Italia
The outlet recalled that Ramos scored a hat-trick against Switzerland in 2022 when he got his chance as a starter, "for once."
Tuttosport also raves about the new Milan signing:
"Seeing him rise in the air to score a header in a match that could change the fate of the Portuguese team, even AC Milan fans must have been rubbing their hands together. The most thrilling match of this World Cup was decided thanks to AC Milan's new striker. He hadn't made a splash yet, but he made up for it in the best possible way." — Tuttosport
Ramos will have another chance to shine on Monday evening against Spain (9:00 PM).
Learn more about: Serie A | Milan | Gonçalo Ramos
Source
Foot Mercato : Info Transferts Football - Actu Foot TransfertWestern
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Gonçalo Ramos Transfer from PSG to AC Milan for €60-74M